New girls in town

[Smalfarmchik]

I have 8 layers, 4 of which i just got and put in the coop. The other girls are bullying them and injuring them. Also egg production has dropped in the old girl and only 1 of the new girls is laying.
The new girls came from a very dirty, confined place and are timid to begin with.
I am wondering if i should just wait it out and let them acclimate or create a new pen so they can be safe from bullys until winter is over and they are not hanging out inside so much.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

How did you go about integrating them.....did you just put them in or did you employ gradual familiarization before actually mixing them? How much space, feet by feet, are the birds in? During integration space is key as what the dominant bird wants is for the subject of their attack to get out of their sight, impossible in tight quarters. How long have you had the new birds and how long have they been housed as one group? What injuries are occuring?

 

[Smalfarmchik]

How did you go about integrating them.....did you just put them in or did you employ gradual familiarization before actually mixing them? How much space, feet by feet, are the birds in? During integration space is key as what the dominant bird wants is for the subject of their attack to get out of their sight, impossible in tight quarters. How long have you had the new birds and how long have they been housed as one group? What injuries are occuring?

We got the new girls 1 week ago. Pecking a tail and pulling out feather, some bleeding on 1.
Inner coup 4x4. Outer coop 8x12. I dont open for free ranging til a bit warmer out.
Just put them in with others.
The 4 newbies seem to try to all fit in 1 nesting box to stay clear of other girls. Just a note. They were a bit skidish to begin with. They disnt seem to know what straw/shavings was. I could tell by they walk they had never had such freedom.

 

[aart]

8 birds in a 4x4 coop is tight quarters, even if it wasn't in integration scenario.
Just adding birds is almost always a disaster.
Integration works best with extra space.
How cold is it...what is your location in this wide world?

Integration of new chickens into flock.
Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock